Burned steer doing much better

A 5-month old steer that was set on fire in Paso Robles has been rescued and is doing well at his new home, Animal Place Sanctuary.

The steer, named Panda, was being raised as part of a Future Farmers of America project and was kept at a Paso Robles school. Someone broke into the school and, as part of the vandalism, poured lighter fluid over the animal and set him on fire. Panda suffered burns on about 50 percent of his body. One ear was burned off and the other was seriously damaged.

When news of the cruelty got out, folks rallied to help Panda recover, but Panda’s owner declined efforts by Animal Place Sanctuary to take Panda. Instead, he decided to continue to care for the steer in hopes the steer could be sold at auction at the California Mid State Fair, and slaughtered.

Northern California’s Animal Place, which specializes in rescuing farm animals, interceded on Panda’s behalf and an unnamed donor in Southern California arranged to buy Panda and give him to Animal Place, sparing Panda from the butcher’s chopping block and allowing him to live out the remainder of his life in peace.

Panda now has become the poster cow in an educational campaign to alter the way FFA and 4-H Clubs operate. Every year thousands of animals are raised as part of youth animal programs, which ends in selling the animals for slaughter — a lesson in modern farming and ranching.

“We should be embracing and encouraging experiences of empathy and compassion,” Animal Place says, “not squelching it by teaching impressionable children that it’s OK to love someone fiercely, protect them, care for them and then kill them.”

The folks at Animal Place report that Panda is recovering nicely although it still isn’t known whether his vision will completely recover. He’s still bothered by his ear, but his other injuries are healing and Panda even has a new sweetheart, Daphne, whom he is quite smitten with. Despite his experiences, Panda remains loving and trusting of humans.

Check out this video featuring Panda and Animal Place executive director Kim Sturla.

Post navigation

FFA and 4-H programs which encourage children to raise animals for money should be ended. They desensitize children, often traumatizing the more compassionate ones. They also betray the trust fostered in the animals and are traumatizing and ultimately lethal to them. Selling out love for money. It is the very opposite of what children should be encouraged to do.

bunnyraiser12

being a member of the FFA myself I am shocked on what the man did ! I rasing rabbits for years and earn a lot of money for my baby rabbits and I do one form 3 years ago that I keep as a pet

Cindy

I was in FFA as a high schooler and have no problem with the kids being taught about modern farming. You will NEVER get rid of Omnivores… as long as man survives and animals are on this planet, we will continue to raise and eat meat along with our veggies. We can’t shelter our kids from life… we have to allow them to make their own decisions on whether to be a meat eater or not. Vegetarians and vegans that don’t educate themselves on proper nutrition and ensure that they get enough protein are only harming themselves. The issue isn’t about the steer being raised for slaughter, the issue is that there are sick people in this world who want to abuse animals and people by lighting them on fire or whatever other methods of torture they find. PETA and other organizations like that are supposed to be protectors of animals but on more than one occasion I witnessed their actions where they startled an animal just to get the kids to correct and prevent the animal from charging and potentially injuring the kid and people in its path… all in the name of snapping a picture.